What's happened
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been overseeing military exercises, including tank drills and missile launches, amidst growing tensions with South Korea and the US.
Why it matters
Kim Jong Un's focus on military exercises and war preparations raises tensions on the Korean Peninsula and could potentially lead to further escalations and conflicts. The missile launches and tank drills demonstrate North Korea's commitment to military readiness and defense.
What the papers say
The Independent reported on Kim Jong Un supervising tank exercises and urging war preparations, while The Japan Times and South China Morning Post covered North Korea's firing of short-range ballistic missiles towards its eastern waters.
How we got here
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been escalating due to North Korea's military demonstrations, including missile tests and military drills. The annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the US have also contributed to heightened tensions.
Common question
More on these topics
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North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.
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Seoul, officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. Seoul has a population of 9.7 million people, and forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area with the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Kim Jong-un is a North Korean politician who has been the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012.
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Antony John Blinken is an American government official who served as United States Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017 and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama.
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea.
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The Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean. Asia-Pacific varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.
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Pyongyang is the capital and largest city of North Korea. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about 109 kilometers upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,288. Pyongyang is a d